A pastor quoted Scripture and asked God to judge Illinois for the “sanctioned destruction of the innocent unborn” during the opening prayer of the House of Representatives Friday, three days after the same body voted to expand abortion in the state through all nine months of pregnancy.
“God, we have made our appeals to the leaders of Illinois this week, on behalf of those innocent babies who do not yet have a voice,” Cory Musgrave, pastor of New Beginnings Church in Fairfield, Ill., prayed. “We have been a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves as you have commanded us. Those appeals were denied.
“But we have one final appeal left, and that is to the courts of heaven. God Almighty, I make an appeal to heaven today, to you the perfect judge, the one who presides over heaven’s court. I ask you to rise up, Oh God, and judge Illinois, for the sanctioned destruction of the innocent unborn. For when your judgments are in this state, the inhabitants of Illinois learn righteousness.”
The bill, H.B. 25, declares abortion a “fundamental right” and says the fetus “does not have independent rights,” as Christian Headlines previously reported. It also forces insurance companies to cover abortion and requires parents to pay for their daughter’s abortion, even if they objected to the procedure. The bill passed the House and Senate.
Live Action says the bill is “more extreme” than the controversial New York bill signed into law.
Musgrave began his prayer by thanking God for the state’s many blessings. But he said the state had turned from God.
“God, none of our evil actions have been hidden from you,” he prayed. “You see everything. Lord, you have told us those things which you hate, and among them, are hands that shed innocent blood. I stand here in this house, in this high place in Illinois, and ask you, O God, creator of heaven and earth, if there is any blood more innocent than a baby that is wonderfully being created in the womb – God those unborn children are not hidden from you.”
Following is the full transcript of Musgrave’s prayer:
“Father, we come to you today and thank you for how much you have blessed Illinois. Throughout history, we can see your hand on this great state – from influential leaders that are sons and daughters of Illinois, to the abundant natural resources you have entrusted within the south, in the industrial capacity in the north.
“God, you have delegated all of humanity with managing your creation. And the 118 members of this house, you have raised up with the great responsibility of leading Illinois. God, we thank you for granting us the ability to choose our own direction, even though those choices have consequences. All throughout your Word, it is clear that you give us a choice.
“God, you even said, ‘Today I give you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make, oh that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live.’ So God, I confess here today, that I have not always made the right choice. And I thank you for being a merciful God that forgives and restores when we turn back to you.
“Lord, I also confess, as an eighth-generation son of Illinois, that this state has decided to go its own way apart from you. In the same way Nehemiah cried out, I pray, listen to my prayer, look down and see me praying night and day for the people of Illinois. I confess that we have sinned against you. Yes, even my own family and I have sinned. We have sinned terribly.
“God, none of our evil actions have been hidden from you. You see everything. Lord. You have told us those things which you hate, and among them, are hands that shed innocent blood. I stand here in this house, in this high place in Illinois, and ask you, O God, creator of heaven and earth, if there is any blood more innocent than a baby that is wonderfully being created in the womb -- God those unborn children are not hidden from you.
“The Psalmist David exclaimed, ‘You made all the delicate inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex. Your workmanship is marvelous how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb, you saw me before I was born.’
“So God, we have made our appeals to the leaders of Illinois this week, on behalf of those innocent babies who do not yet have a voice. We have been a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves as you have commanded us. Those appeals were denied. But we have one final appeal left, and that is to the courts of heaven. God Almighty, I make an appeal to heaven today, to you the perfect judge, the one who presides over heaven’s court. I ask you to rise up, Oh God, and judge Illinois, for the sanctioned destruction of the innocent unborn. For when your judgments are in this state, the inhabitants of Illinois learn righteousness.
“In this house, I pray for justice to roll down like water and righteousness like a mighty river. In your judgment, I pray that you would remember mercy, For we know that you, Oh God, do not want anyone to be destroyed. I ask this in the name of your Son, the one who died for a sinner like me, the one who was appointed to judge the living and the dead.
“In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.”
Related:
Illinois' Extreme Pro-Abortion Bill Passes the State’s Senate
Illinois Passes Pro-Abortion Bill: ‘Fetus Does Not Have Independent Rights’
Illinois to Force Pro-Life Parents to Pay for Daughter’s Abortion
Michael Foust is a freelance writer. Visit his blog, MichaelFoust.com.
Photo courtesy: Amaury Gutierrez/Unsplash
Video courtesy: IL House GOP
